Assembly Unanimously Passes
Domestic Violence Prevention Act
Madison… State Representatives Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) and Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) hailed the unanimous passage of their “Domestic Violence Prevention Act” by the State Assembly October 2, 2003.  
Suder and Shilling authored AB 265 to give state prosecutors an additional legal tool to prosecute domestic violence offenders who break the nose of their victims or leave them with a severe laceration. The lawmakers say their bill closes a legal loophole in the state’s substantial bodily harm statutes. Domestic violence prevention experts say prosecuting batterers who break the nose of their victims is often difficult or impossible due to the current state statutes.
“Our bi-partisan bill empowers victims and enables state prosecutors to take appropriate legal action against domestic abusers,” Suder stated. “The Domestic Violence Prevention Act will ensure that victims of domestic violence who suffer a broken nose will never again be prevented or discouraged from pressing charges against their batterers.”
The Suder/Shilling proposal modifies the definition of “substantial bodily harm” to include broken noses and lacerations that require staples or a tissue adhesive, thus increasing the penalty for such crimes. Current statute defines substantial bodily harm as an injury that causes any fracture of the bone, a laceration that requires stitches, a burn, a temporary loss of consciousness, sight, or hearing, or a loss or fracture of a tooth. Such definitions are also relevant to the rights of a parent in juvenile court if the parent has been convicted of an offense resulting in a child suffering bodily harm.
“I am proud that we were able to pass a bill today that restores some concept of justice to women living in an extremely unjust situation. Domestic abuse victims must have the legal recourses available to keep up with medical innovations, and hold batterers accountable for their actions. AB 265 gives victims one more tool in effectively prosecuting their abuser,” said Shilling.
The ‘Domestic Violence Prevention Act’ has earned strong support from a wide variety of state and national groups including the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Milwaukee Police Association, the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the National Battered Woman’s Justice Project.
Both lawmakers anticipate strong bi-partisan support for the measure when the bill progresses to the State Senate later this month and are actively working with Governor Doyle to implement this crucial change to state law.
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